Lesser Horned Owl (Bubo magellanicus) is seen at the meadows of Patagonian valley in Santa Cruz, Argentina on December 21, 2024. Lesser Horned Owl is a large owl of the genus Bubo found in southern South America, with its distinctive “horns”, black-rimmed face and heavily striped abdomen. (Photo by Mehmet Emin Yogurtcuoglu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Kurt Arrigo is Malta’s most eminent and one of the world’s finest marine photographers. ­­His illustrious and diverse career has seen him capture dramatic action at elite international sporting events.

Flames and smoke rising after a fire that broke out in Izmir province of Aegean Turkey on August 19, 2019. Fire brigade crew continue their works. Forest fires have consumed some 500 hectares (over 1,200 acres) of land in Izmir, Turkeys Aegean coast. On Sunday, the fires broke out in four different regions – including two in the southwestern Mugla province and others in Izmir province, according to Agriculture and Forest Ministry. (Photo by Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A plane drops water to put out the fire broke out yesterday in a grassy area in Kizilcahamam district of Ankara and spread to a forest area in Gerede district of Bolu as firefighters, Turkish General Directorate of Forestry teams and officers continue their extinguishing and cooling efforts in the forest fire that is under control on August 22, 2024 in Bolu, Turkiye. (Photo by Emin Sansar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

An aerial view of Lake Salt as teams conduct salt extraction works at lake which is a significant portion of Turkiye's salt need is met in Ankara, Turkiye on August 11, 2022. Salt extraction works lasts for about 3 months and continues with the recession of the waters in Lake Salt. The salt extracted from the lake, where salt is produced with a purity of 99 percent, is sent to more than 60 countries. (Photo by Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Passengers watch as The Waverley, the world's last remaining seagoing passenger paddle steamer arrives at Clevedon Pier on June 10, 2011 in Clevedon, England. Built in 1946, the trust which owns and operates the Waverley, is warning that this could be the last season for the vessel and is appealling for more public funding saying it is struggling to make ends meet in the current financial climate due in part to rising fuel costs. Restored in 1973 after service on Loch Long in Scotland, since 2003, Waverley has been listed in the British National Register of Historic Ships core collection as 'a vessel of pre-eminent national importance'. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

7-year-old Syrian Reyyan Hammadi is rescued under rubble 61 hours after 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit multiple provinces including Kahramanmaras, Turkiye on February 08, 2023. Early Monday morning, a strong 7.7 earthquake, centered in the Pazarcik district, jolted Kahramanmaras and strongly shook several provinces, including Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis. Later, at 13.24 p.m. (1024GMT), a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras' Elbistan district struck the region. Turkiye declared 7 days of national mourning after deadly earthquakes in southern provinces. (Photo by Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“Hippo Chase”. As we approached the camp the Selinda Reserve of northern Botswana our boat passed by a hippo resting in the water. I turned around to look back at the boat's wake and saw the hippo charging after us! The hippo must've been tired from an all-nighter because he was angry. He rose way up out of the water three times trying to chase our boat! He was coming at us with such force that he created a wake of his own. Photo location: Selinda Reserve of northern Botswana. (Photo and caption by Curtis Simmons/National Geographic Photo Contest)